Time to get off the culinary roller-coaster!
Dear friends,
I have been on a Skinny Girl/Fat Gene Sabbatical. Not to be misunderstood, I think a sabbatical usually has positive feelings associated with the term, but not so much in this case. Sabbatical actually comes from the word Sabbath, and is associated with renewal, learning, a rest period…you get the point! Well, I have been having a rest period, and I have been learning, however, I don’t feel so renewed.
Life has been really busy. Busy kid schedules, commitments, responsibilities, and busy negotiating and coping with some unexpected bumps that have presented in this chaotic road we travel. So guess what is always the first thing to suffer when life gets out of whack-the diet. Why is that? Nothing new, just the same old horrible habit of being too busy to cook, using food to mask anxiety, and the ever indulgent thought process that when we are traveling, it is a vacation, and vacation is a get out of jail free card for healthy eating.
Oh, let me say I have enjoyed myself, for brief moments, like last weekend when we traveled to Atlanta for my daughter’s dance competition. We ate Friday night at Pappadeaux Seafood. As is always the case, my she devil told me, “You are on vacation.” ”Enjoy yourself and forget about the steamed shrimp and salad.” ”Go for the friend shrimp platter instead!” What was a very hungry, tired and somewhat anxious skinny girl to do with all those fat genes in my head trying to win over my control and sabotage my waistline? Well, sad to say, I am human, and I went for the friend shrimp platter with fries, two beers, and a dessert of key lime pie! Once I have a big greasy meal, I am never satisfied until I finish it off with something sweet!
Unfortunately, I have been letting my she devil play with my emotions, exploit my anxieties and hold me hostage for far too long. I have been in a period of life that is a little turbulent right now, it might best be titled, “A Journey Through the Woods.” As a result of this present journey, my anxieties, fears and sadness have been compounded because I feel physically terrible. The way I am feeling physically is directly pursuant to my diet, and I am allowing my eating to compound already existing problems and create a viscous cycle of feeling bad, and feeling worse because I ate like crap today, and yesterday, and the day before….
Please don’t misunderstand, that fried shrimp platter, fries, two beers and key lime pie would have been fine, had I not had a Chick-fil-A burrito for breakfast and Mexican Food for lunch! Furthermore, I had been vacillating between eating good a few days, and totally falling off the wagon for a week for a couple months now, so I was never fully getting myself reset, re-centered and focusing up. I have essentially been on a ferris wheel, up and down, up and down, and I have been in this pattern long enough that I now feel sick.
I don’t know why I am always amazed how quickly eating bad affects my physical well being. It is so true, and that is why it is ok to have the periods where we get to this point of feeling sick, to remind us why we need to eat healthy most of the time. Everything in moderation…gotta keep that in the forefront of my mind! Truth is, my body is accustomed to me eating healthy most of the time, and when I get off track as bad as I have, it begins to rebel! What a blessing that rebellion is. My built in reminder, “Hey sister, you have fat genes-EASY DOES IT!”
It is time for me to take back control friends. Tomorrow morning, no more see-saw. I am tired of swinging back and fourth on this culinary roller-coaster. Time to get back to clean eating at its best, with the OCCASIONAL splurgers. of course! Have you lost your center? If so, join me. Lets refocus, re-center, look up and concentrate on getting happy which starts with being healthy!
I will keep you posted on getting back on track. Let me hear your battles and triumphs, too!
Until we meet again,
